Pharma lobbyists focus on a surprising new target: the FDA

WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly promised to root out industry influence from the Food and Drug Administration.

But the Trump administration’s injection of political priorities into the agency, which has long been shielded from such meddling, has opened new avenues for lobbying. The pharmaceutical industry is working to capitalize, according to 10 people, including lobbyists, advisers, FDA officials, and an executive involved in the efforts.

“The nature of the relationship is so drastically different now,” Michael Abrams, a managing partner at Numerof and Associates who works with pharmaceutical clients on regulatory requirements, said of the interactions between companies and the administration. Abrams said the new system, under Trump, makes discussions about FDA decisions that once would have been “heretical” the new norm.